Travel Info

Get the latest information about traveling to Ethiopia. Last updated February 2016.

Visa and Immigration

Visa are required for all foreign visitors to Ethiopia, with the exception of nationals of Kenya and Sudan. Visitors should obtain visas from the Ethiopian Embassy in their country of residence. If there is no Ethiopian Embassy in the visitor’s country of origin or residence, visas must be obtained from the nearest country with an Ethiopian Embassy.

Custom Regulations

Professional video camera's need a permit from the Government Communication Affair Office. Small modern consumer camcorders are usually not targeted but some older bigger models might be questioned. When needed we can assist you in obtaining a permit.

Health

Vaccination against cholera is required if you have visited a cholera infected area within 6 days prior to arrival in Ethiopia. A yellow fever certificate is no longer mandatory for Ethiopia but it might be required when you arrive from a country where the disease is endemic.

Safety

Ethiopia is a relative safe country. Violent crimes are very rare. Tourists should be aware of pickpockets and other petty thefts in the bigger towns. Be extra alert at crowded places like markets, around mini bus stands and at big public gatherings.

When to visit

Most of the country has the main rainy season from June until September with some short rains in March. Although it might drizzle for quite some time, most of the time its just a heavy shower (or downpour) after which the sun will come out again. In the north it is perfectly possible to travel all year round except for serious hiking tours. Southern Ethiopia (Omo Valley) however has a main rainy season during April and May and short rains in October/ November. Traveling to the south in April and May is not recommended as you might get stuck for a long time due to seasonal rivers and bad roads. Even un-seasonal rains cause sometimes problems in this region.

What to bring

Pack light clothes for daytime and a jacket or (fleece) sweater for the early morning and evening. Remember Ethiopians are conservative dressers, it is appreciated to cover at least your knees and shoulders. Don't bring to many cloths, laundry service is available in most hotels.

Photo and video

Communications

Telephone, fax and internet are available in or near most hotels which are used by tourists. International roaming is unpredictable and sms is not always possible or delivered. Data roaming is not possible, but most tourist hotels offer wifi services. Although progression is made connections are often slow and unreliable.

Money

The local currency is the Ethiopian Birr (ETB) which comes in 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents and 1 birr coins. Notes are available in 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 birr denominations. Find the current exchange rates here.

Public Holidays

Public holidays are celebrated according to Ethiopians own calendar based on (but not the same as) the Julian calendar. It consist of 12 months of 30 days and 1 month of 5 days (6 days in a leap year). New year is celebrated on September 11th (12th in a leap year) and the calendar is between 7 and 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar.

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What our customers say

Testimonials

We are very proud to inform you what our clients say about us. Some testimonials are received by email, others are published on Tripadvisor or Facebook.

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Cyril and Clement, 3 days Awash National Park, August '15 on Facebook and Tripadvisor:

Wonderful tour to Awash national park! Many thanks to Boundless Ethiopia for its perfect organisation!

Hi there ! Well there is just nothing to be added to the above. Boundless organized us a tailor made fantastic tour at a good price and Hans & Esayas were just great ! Cheers. Clement

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Abigail (UK), 4 days Bale Mountains, July '15 on Facebook and Tripadvisor:

I booked a Bale Mountain tour with Hans and the logistics were handled in a swift and friendly manner. Unfortunately disaster struck and I had to travel back to the UK before I could take my tour. Hans is currently going out of his way to arrange a partial reimbursement, even though he doesn't have to, which is absolutely the sign of an an excellent and caring tour company. I highly recommend Boundless to you. Don't hesitate to book.

I wanted to leave a review for Hans and Boundless but I could only find this thread. I highly recommend Boundless. There are lots of tour operators running from Addis Ababa, of very varying quality. Save yourself time and effort and trust Boundless. You're in safe Hans!

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John, Kate and Emma (GB), 14 days northern Ethiopia, March '15 on Tripadvisor:

My husband and I were planning a trip to Ethiopia with our adult daughter. Looking around for someone to advise us we noticed that Hans of Boundless Ethiopia, www.boundlessethiopia.com had been recommended by other Tripadvisor travellers. Concluding an excellent, trouble free 12 days in Northern Ethiopia organised by Hans, we appreciated those recommendations. Hans suggested an excellent itinerary, supplied careful, considerate drivers and knowledgeable guides and made all hotel and sightseeing arrangements. Everything went smoothly and Hans even met us at the hotel at the conclusion of our holiday to see if we had suggestions or comments. Boundless Ethiopia is a company which really cares about service and we were so pleased we used them.

I would also like to add my recommendation for Hans and Boundless Ethiopia. I traveled to Ethiopia with my parents in March 2015 and we spent two fantastic weeks exploring the Northern Circuit, bolting on an extra day in the Simien Mountains and two extra days trekking around Lalibela. As the reviewers above attest, Hans was incredibly helpful when organising the trip, and was happy to shuffle around the itinerary and hotel bookings several times to suit our needs. Our driver, Isaias, was a great companion on our trip - he was generally quite quiet, but very knowledgeable when asked. The local guides which we met at the different sites along the trip were also very impressive on the whole. Hans worked hard to ensure our trip went smoothly and was very keen to hear our feedback. We would certainly choose Boundless Ethiopia for a return trip to Ethiopia.

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Martin and Marijke (BE), 15 days Northern Ethiopia, January '15 by email:

Gavin (HK), 8 days Addis Ababa, Axum and Lalibela, August '14 on Tripadvisor:

We are a group of 3 persons from Hong Kong, just return from a one-week trip in Ethiopia. It is so helpful for Hans, the owner of Boundless Ethiopia Tour, to plan our trip before coming to Ethiopia. We visited Addis Ababa, Axum and Lalibella. The visit to both places are special interests to us. When in Axum, we have a chance to participate in the Maryam Tsion Procession which started early in the morning (5 a.m.)l. The guide gave us a very good explanation everything regarding the procession. We are so impressed by the devotion of the people in Axum in the ceremony. Our visit to Lalibella is impressive. Our guide, Memekia, has a profound knowledge in the history and development of rock-hewn churches in Lalibella. Together with his warm hospitality, the trip is unforgettable!For those thinking of visiting Ethiopia by themselves, Boundless Ethiopia Tours is highly recommended. The fees charged was reasonable and worth every dollars. Arrangements are within our expectation, and all the guides and drivers are not only friendly, but professional. It is especially kind for Hans to have dinner with us during our first night stay in Addis Ababa. He explained everything to us with patience and gave us a general understanding of the country.Ethiopia is a great place to visit!

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Thanasis (GR), 7 days Omo Valley, August '14 on Tripadvisor in response to Natalie:

Thank you Londongal77 for your comment here since that it was the initial step for a Fantastic Trip in the heart of OMO Valley with ...Boundless Ethiopia! With this message I want to confirm and reboost all your comments about them.Also I would like to comment that only Hans understood my needs (although I have communicated about 10 different agencies) about a Budget Tour due to the fact that we were only me and my wife participating on this and the cost of a 4x4 is not small for 2 pax only .All the others coudn't really downgrade from the Lodge Level at any of their services.Closing I want to wish Hans a Good Luck and to say that one day I will be back with Boundless to cover the North Part that remained unexplored to me.All the Best!

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Nick (USA) 9 days Lalibela, Hudad and Tigray, February '14 by email:

I highly recommend booking your next tour to Ethiopia through Boundless Ethiopia! I worked with Hans to create a personalized 9 day itinerary that in my mind was the perfect combination of trekking and sightseeing.Before I booked, I asked Hans dozens of questions. I found him to be knowledgeable, thoughtful and responsiveness. I especially appreciated that Hans met with me in person the day before the tour began in order to review the itinerary and provide advice. On the last day he met me in person at the airport so that I would have a chance to give feedback. It is clear he is dedicated to ensuring his customers have a wonderful experience. The tour itself was fantastic, primarily because Hans works with great local guides who are professional and service-oriented. Highlights of the itinerary included my stay at the Hudad ecolodge outside of Lalibela, visiting the family of my guide in a small village near Abune Joseph, and the exhilarating climbs to the rock-hewn churches in Gheralta, Tigray. It’s also worth noting that I reached out to a number of other tour operators prior to booking with Boundless Ethiopia. Despite the more personalized service I received from Hans, the prices of his tours were lower than or comparable to the quotes I obtained from other companies. Regards,Nick

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Marc and Veronique (CA), 34 days Best of Ethiopia, December '13/ January '14 by email:

Philip and Rachel (UK), 15 days Historical route, November '13 on Tripadvisor:

Well I've just returned back from a glorious two weeks in Northern Ethiopia arranged by Boundless. I can report that Boundless were outstanding. The trip went like complete clockwork and the logistics of the trip were masterfully taken care of. The guides and particularly our driver were excellent, punctual, efficient, speaking good English and responsive to our requests. Like others have reported, Hans met us in Addis at the beginning and end of our trip for an introductory dinner and a debrief respectively. Our itinerary took in the historical circuit, Bahir Dar, Gondor, Simien Mountains, Axum, Gheralta, Lalibela. We had an outstanding guide at Gheralta showing us the rock hewn churches. He had previously been a guide for film star Will Smith and had been on a guide for a local documentary on the churches! We spent a long time prior to our trip discussing our itinerary with Hans via email and he proved to be very knowledgeable regarding festival and religious dates. For example, during our trip at Boundless suggestion, we got to take in the candle lit Lideta procession in Axum, market day in both Addis (the Mercato!) and Axum, we also got to see some morning services in Lalibela which really brought the place to life. Also, in Lalibela we stayed for a few nights at the Hudad lodge which was suggested on the Boundless website. Its off the beaten track, in the sense that it is a four hour hike from Lalibela town, but is beautiful and a spectacular place to stay and interact with local people. I believe Hans is very dedicated to his company and is striving to provide value and quality of service to his clients. Boundless are good value in my opinion, we did a private tour and it cost a fraction of what we would have paid booking, for example, through a UK based company. Also, at the end of the tour Hans was very keen to hear of any problems we may have encountered so that he could improve and refine future trips they offer. That to me spoke volumes. He really cares!In summary, I would highly recommend Boundless Ethiopia. Booking with them was one of the best decisions I have made. I hope they keep up the high level of service and others get to enjoy Ethiopia with Boundless as we did.

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Natalie and Claire (UK), 21 days North and south, October '13 on Tripadvisor:

Boundless Ethiopia Tours - I highly recommend! I thought I’d post a review about Boundless Ethiopia Tours as I was so impressed by its service. It’s one of the few travel companies actually based in Ethiopia and Hans (the owner) really knows the country inside out.He was so helpful when we were planning our trip – he answered so many questions and really wanted us to get the right itinerary for what we were looking to do. He got it spot on – we were very happy with our 3 week trip and felt that we got a great mix of history, tribes and fresh air (we did some walking in the Simien mountains and a TESFA trek).We were particularly happy with our driver (Yet) – he was so efficient, kind and friendly and he really helped to make our trip special. You spend a lot of time together and I know Hans has picked his drivers with real care as they are his ambassadors after all.On a price note – we thought that Boundless offered real value for money. We did a private trip (2 people) cheaper than going on a group holiday with multiple other people. For us it was bliss to have our own agenda and spend as much time at places as we wanted to etc. We’re both keen photographers so there was lots of stopping the car to take shots!Do use them – I promise you won’t be disappointed and I think Hans deserves a successful business – he really cares and it shows!

Hi HansI'm safely back in the UK, once again, thanks for organising such a memorable trip. Organisation was excellent, from putting together a tailor made itinerary via email to being met personally at the airport despite arriving late on a Sunday evening. Guides were knowledgable and friendly, and, for the most part, punctual. Ethiopia really is a fantastic country to explore, and I feel certain I will return, and will be in touch with Boundless when I do.Let me know if you have any thoughts on promoting a running based tour package. My career at the moment is fairly broad, so promoting tour packages in the UK may be another string to my bow!Oh, one last thing, Alex (Alum) took a picture of me riding across the river on the mule, a few seconds before I fell off! Be great to have a copy.Hope business continues to do well.Kind regardsDave

Dave on Tripadvisor:

I visited Ethiopia in Oct 2013 as an 11 day stopover on my way back to the UK after working in Zimbabwe. I wanted to get the balance right between seeing plenty of the country and having some adventure but not spending the whole time on the move. I had minimal knowledge of the country but having given Hans an outline of my interests (some history, nature, trekking) he drafted several possible itineraries. He was very flexible and responded promptly to emails and I felt I was in good hands even before arriving in the country. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised that Hans came to meet me in person at the airport late on a Sunday evening - I think this symbolises how much he cares and how hard he works. He was even able to give me some advice on things like going for an early morning run in Addis where I was able to run in Meskel Square with some of the top Ethiopian runners. Guides and drivers were excellent, and flexible. The hotels used (I did the historical circuit plus hiking) in Bahir Dar, Gondar, Simien Mountains, Axum, Lalibela and back to Addis were all fine, and the sights throughout Ethiopia were just amazing - incredible scenery. I would say October is probably a good month to go as it is end of the rainy season and everywhere is v green, plus the Blue Nile Falls are in full flow. I would also take advantage of domestic flights if time is short which worked well for me.I met with Hans for a debrief (and a beer!) at the end of the trip which again shows he cares and is keen to learn how to make trips as good as possible.Having had experience of working in the travel industry myself, I'm certain that Ethiopia is not an easy place to organise tours, but Boundless Ethiopia are doing a very good job of it, and I would definitely recommend using them.

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Geert en Annemiek (NL), 23 days North, south and Harar, July '13 by email:

Bull-jumping ceremony of the Hamar... (Short video of 3'30")Bull-jumping is the final test for a boy before passing into adulthood and getting married. But it is also a very important event for the rest of the tribe, because it strenghtens all social ties. To me it was also a very playful event with lots of laughter and excitement.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHwmL86WVV8&list=UURudUISajLG1u8tM7bz4PCQ

Tony (VN), 8 days Historical route by flight, July '13 by email:

Warmest greetings from Vietnam, Dear Hans!It hard to forget beautiful memories of Ethiopia, thanks to your excellent service and kindest hands!I hope you and your wife, your company are still doing very well there with the new tourist season.By the way, could you kindly give me the email address of Elijah, the tour guide in Addis Ababa on 9 July? I want to thank him too for interesting information and faith sharing.Again, my appreciation and best wishes!Tony from Vietnam

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Thomas (AT), 4 days Lalibela and Hudad, June '13) by email:

Dear Hans, Sorry I did not get back to you earlier. I just arrived back in the US last night after a stopover in Austria. The tour was really excellent. Everything worked very smoothly and all the guides and drivers were extremely reliable, well trained, friendly and gave great info about the area and its people, history etc. I enjoyed greatly the half day tour in lalibela's churches and in particular the hike with derebe up to the lodge and the village. derebe is indeed a fantastic guide, young, agile, flexible, very well informed and with the heart on the right spot. The only thing you may want to consider is make clearer that the meals at the lodge are not included in the price as I got caught by surprise but luckily had enough cash. I will definitely recommend your service! All the best for you and your family and here some pics from my trip.Thomas

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Laurie and family (USA), 16 days 'Roots' tour, March '13) by email:

We just wanted to say again.. Thank you so much for our tour. Let us know if we can help you promote your company. We would 100 percent use you again. I am attaching a few pictures from our journey.Thanks,Laurie

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Christine and Mike (UK), 4 days Bale Mountains National Park, February '13 by email:

Dear Hans,In my view it all went very well, apart from the problem with the radiator pipe. The driver dealt with it really well, with typical improvisation, but a little more careful checking of the state of the vehicle before departure might be a good idea. (The puncture was unavoidable, no reason to complain about that.) Perhaps the driver could also be encouraged to stay a little more towards his own side of the road? I understand that driving in the middle is often the most convenient option, but driving on the left seemed uneccessary. Also, I'd rather get there a bit later and avoid the more aggressive overtaking manoevres. But I expect you hear that about all of the drivers you use, I had another driver a few days later who was very similar. Otherwise the driver was helpful, stopped when we wanted to, etc..The local guide was knowledgable and observant, adapted nicely to our hiking pace and grasped our interests quickly. The hotel was roughly as expected, they could use a little competition. You might want to warn people to make sure their immersion heater is turned on, ours were on initially but on the third evening we both found they had been turned off and the water was stone cold! It's a simple switch, the hotel staff must have done it to save electricity.YoursChristine

Hans,I would agree with Christine's comments. It was an enjoyable trip that, apart from the minor mechanical mishaps went smoothly. We very much appreciated your rapid and courteous responses to our enquires and your welcome at the airport.We wish you every success with your business and would happily recommend your service.Many thanks,Mike

Yes, I forgot to say the most important thing, that it was a really memorable, enjoyable trip!YoursChristine

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Denise and friends (NL), 3 days Awash National Park, January '13 by email:

Margriet and Rien (NL), 27 days Best of Ethiopia, December '12 by email:

Just back as one of the first guests of Boundless Ethiopia Tours PLC.It was our second trip and we had several special wishes.An excellent trip was made for us. Everything was perfectly arranged.Our driver was very experienced and knew a lot about nature. Local guides were also well skilled .We recommend you all very highly Boundless Ethiopia Tours PLC .Fam. de Wit (The Netherlands) 05-01-2013

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Travel Advisories

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Latest!

We had the honor to be with Philip Briggs at one of the most stunning places on this planet, the Erta Ale Volcano in the Danakil Depression. Listen to the interview Chris Marquardt had with the author of the best guide book to Ethiopia. The new (7th) edition of the Bradt Guide to Ethiopia has just been published, find your copy at Bradtguides.com